On a sunny late-summer morning on August 28, stakeholders from the construction industry gathered at Spaces in Gamla Stan for an engaging and informative breakfast seminar. Gokind hosted the event and invited participants to discuss one of the industry’s greatest future threats—workplace crime. Among those in attendance were Veidekke and ID06, who, together with Gokind, shared insights, experiences, and potential solutions.
Labor market crime is a growing problem. Wage fraud, substandard working conditions, failure to pay taxes, and complex subcontracting schemes create unfair competition and risk driving legitimate businesses out of business.
ID06: “The construction industry has come a long way—but more needs to be done”
Conny Svensson from ID06 emphasized the importance of workplace inspections and greater transparency:
“It’s important to have robust oversight mechanisms in place, both during the procurement process and throughout the construction phase. As awareness grows, clients are also becoming more selective about who they do business with,” he says.
ID06 occupies a unique position between companies, government agencies, and employees. Svensson emphasizes that the industry must make use of the tools available:
“If you use ID06’s toolkit, you have a good chance of achieving greater transparency. Compared to other high-risk industries, the construction sector has come a long way, but we need more digital solutions and better access to government data to truly reduce crime,” he says.
"The consequences of failing to do so are serious: reputable companies risk being driven out of business, which leads to unfair competition, labor exploitation, and a deteriorating work environment," says Svensson.
Veidekke: “Fraud threatens the industry’s survival”
Lennart Weiss, Commercial Director at Veidekke, made it clear that workplace crime is a matter of vital importance for the industry’s future.
“Companies that cut corners on wages and working conditions have personnel costs that are up to 50 percent lower than those that comply with the collective bargaining agreement. In some procurement processes, it’s completely impossible for reputable companies to compete,” he says.
Veidekke is open about sharing the findings of its corporate investigations, in which fraud often turns out to be systematic. Weiss believes that Sweden lags far behind its neighboring countries:
“In Finland, the parties collaborate with the authorities in a way we don’t see here. They define this as economic crime and let the Swedish Tax Agency coordinate the effort. Sweden must dare to speak plainly and stop hiding behind policies and prestige,” he says.
"His vision for the future is clear: an industry where competition takes place on a level playing field, where skilled workers have a natural place, and where the construction sector fulfills its social responsibility—even in times of crisis or war," says Weiss.
Gokind: “Developers must take responsibility”
The organizers of the seminar, Stefan Lundberg and Gustaf Anselmsson from Gokind, have backgrounds in crime prevention and solutions for the financial sector, and currently work on risk assessments for companies in the Nordic and Baltic regions.
“We help companies monitor liquidity and financial stability in real time, and ensure that wages and taxes are paid, using new banking technology. This allows our partners to avoid unexpected bankruptcies and detect workplace crime before it’s too late,” they say.
They draw parallels between the construction and financial sectors:
“The financial sector has realized that letting the wrong players into the system comes at a high cost, both in the short and long term. The same applies to the construction industry. There’s money to be made by being systematic in your checks—cleaning up the industry means improved margins and a more attractive workplace,” they say.
The message to the seminar participants was clear:
“It’s the private developers who hold the key. No government agency or procurement regulations will solve this for them. The tools are there—now it’s a matter of using them,” say Lundberg and Anselmsson.
A common conclusion
Despite differing perspectives, it was clear that ID06, Veidekke, and Gokind share the same conclusion: the construction industry has both the will and the tools to combat labor market crime—but the responsibility cannot be shifted onto anyone else. Change begins with the industry’s own stakeholders, and the future will be determined by how boldly and consistently they choose to act.
From left to right: Stefan Lundberg, lawyer; Gustaf Anselmsson, CEO of Gokind AB; Lennart Weiss, Commercial Director at Veidekke Sverige AB; and Conny Svensson, Senior Advisor at ID06 AB.
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